Why does God allow suffering?

Outline

Introduction
Defining Wholeness
What is Suffering?
Suffering Is Not Always Bad
Why We Suffer and How to Prevent It
God Causes us to Suffer
God’s Solutions to Suffering
Encouragement

Scriptures:

Habakkuk 1:2-3
1 Peter 5:8-9
James 4:7
Romans 5:12
1 John 1:10
Psalms 119:71
Deuteronomy 30:19
James 4:4
James 1:2-3
Romans 5:3-5
John 15: 1-2
1 Peter 1:6-7
Romans 8:28
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Romans 8:18

Introduction

Habakkuk 1:2-3

2 How long, LORD, have I called for help, And You do not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.

When you look at the news and around the world, you see

Violence
disaster
suffering

Why does God let it continue?

Why did God allow

Your Relationship to fall apart
Your health problem
Your loved one to get sick

If He was good and all loving why doesn’t He end

Poverty
Sickness
Evil

We’ll examine the reasons why we suffer and what you can do to prevent suffering in the future.

We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

– – CS Lewis

Story: leak in ceiling

Acknowledgement

I realize that some of you are suffering

Some of you are going through things that I can’t imagine

Depths of suffering that I’ll never experience

I realize that no biblical or rational explanation is going to take away the pain that you suffer.

I’m sure some of you are suffering some pains I can’t even imagine

I don’t want to deny the depth of your suffering or minimize what you have or what you are currently going through.

All the good answers in the world aren’t going to fix what happened or what is happening

Outcome:

Understand some of the reasons why God might allow suffering
Understand what the Bible says about suffering and evil
Understand how to lessen future suffering in your life

Defining Wholeness

Wholeness is about being _______ healthy

spiritually
emotionally
mentally

Free from oppression of

Our past
Bad thinking
Strongholds
The enemy

We’re talking about

dealing with life’s current stresses
being healed from experiences/wounds of the past

We’re promised eternal life

We’re also supposed to have: joy, peace, patience, and self control here on earth

Through this 5 year series we have identified traits that we defined as the goal for wholeness

Traits of Wholeness

Authenticity
Honesty
Kindness
Behavior not influenced by external approval / validation
Living by values and principles
Setting Boundaries
Taking ownership of your responsibilities
Living with purpose and passion
Optimism
Confidence
Not losing control of your emotions
Free from addictions
Addressing Conflict with truth and love
Vulnerability
Not critical or Judgemental
Not jealous of others
Forgive those who have wronged you in the past
Know that you’re worthy of receiving love
Not afraid to fail
Able to manage irrational fear, worry, and anxiety
Selfless encounters with others
Not manipulating others trying to control their actions
You care about how others feel
Patient
Don’t give into peer/social pressure
Can communicate without antagonizing others
Recognize, manage, and take responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings
Slow to anger
Ability to maturely express your wants, needs and desires
Can listen without reacting
Can respect others without having to change them
Can function well… Alone or with others
Able to take responsibility for our own destiny in life
Able to maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of anxiety and stress
Able to ask for what they need want or prefer clearly, directly and honestly
Has the capacity to resolve conflict maturely
Being led by the Spirit

What is Suffering?

Suffering - the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship

Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful.

There is a purpose to it and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and it to more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine

– – Tim Keller

Happiness Isn’t the Goal of Life

Who here would like to be happy all the time?

Which of you liked:

The Titanic

Who saw it more than once?

Romeo and Juliet
Sixth Sense

Even though it wasn’t happy all the way through

People are paying money to be sad

Do you really want to always be happy?

If you want to be happy all the time why do you

Play/watch sports
Have a romantic relationship
Be a 49er fan

Yet people think that if God was a loving God… He would make sure that they are always happy

Happiness Isn’t God’s Goal

Is our happiness God’s goal?

God’s ultimate goal for your life isn’t that you be happy

God’s goal for your life isn’t that you don’t suffer

Your happiness doesn’t measure of God’s goodness

Suffering Is Not Always Bad?

Pain can be good

Story: Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis (CIPA)

There was a mother who wished that her daughter felt pain

Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrosis (CIPA) is a very rare and extremely dangerous condition. People with CIPA cannot feel pain. Pain-sensing nerves in these patients are not properly connected in parts of brain that receive the pain messages.

unable to feel pain or temperature, and to have decreased or absent sweating

Story of the girl born with the rare disease where she can’t feel pain

She can step on a nail and not know it
Her mother prays every night that she will experience pain
Biting lips, fingers and tongs
amputation

Pain is an indicator to us that something is wrong

Region Beta Paradox

Have your circumstances ever got better…because they got worst

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the ‘Region-beta paradox’.

When you look at the circumstances in your life

Spectrum

Bad - amazing

In the middle is - ok

This is what’s referred to as region beta

When you’re in this region you’re not really motivated to make any changes in your life

The region beta paradox is the phenomena that in order to move from OK to awesome we often need to encounter difficult events

So you’d actually be better off.. if the situation got worse

You can be strengthened by your struggles

Job

It’s not your dream job, but it pays the bills
Boss became a real jerk … career you really want

Health

You want to exercise regularly and eat right, but everything still functions
small pain, annoyance - painful…you’d go to the doctor

Cleaning Your House

You are more motivated to make improvements when circumstances become difficult

Some people need to hit rock bottom

Suffering motivates you to change

Why We Suffer and How to Prevent It

The Bible gives us clear instructions on how to avoid suffering

Caused by Satan (and demons):

1 Peter 5:8-9

8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.

You have an adversary

A supernatural adversary
…that’s a problem

You got

Devil
Demons

You will suffer if the prowling lion catches you

What Do We Do About It?

What do we do about the prowling lion?

Shoot him?
Try to put him in a cage?

How is the lion trying to harm you?

Satan is a train to bite you

He’s going to attack you with

Temptation
Beliefs that go against the word of God
Good things that distract you from God
Suffering

examples:

You’re in a relationship and an attractive person wants to exchange phone numbers
A simple lie will get …

Make that sale
Get that discount
Hide that mistake

You see an opportunity to benefit by taking advantage of someone

resist the Devil

James 4:7

Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I can prevent my suffering by

Resisting the devil
Resisting temptation
Resisting the allure of sin

Armor of God

Eph 6:10-18

Truthfulness
Righteousness
The Gospel
Faith
The Hope of Salvation
The Bible
Obeying the Holy Spirit

Fallen World

People are evil
Free will

Romans 5:12

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—

Corrupt People

Some of you are suffering because of

Relative
Neighbor
Boss
Coworker
Enemy / Haters / Ops

Why doesn’t God get rid of all the sinful people?

If he did… You wouldn’t be here to see it
I wouldn’t be here to teach it

1 John 1:10

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

We are all wicked compared to God

We are all evil in the eyes of law

We are all the villain in someone’s story

The only reason we are considered righteous is through the blood of Christ

Psalms 119:71

It is good for me that I was afflicted, So that I may learn Your statutes.

Affliction can keep you from evil

God's Gives Us the Freedom to be Evil - Priest

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxvLFzqsaHJfeWvCloVOMrCENZ_F5tzs3x?si=mKcSPjQG7i5mH32O

We Suffer Because of Our Bad Choices

Have you ever regretted something you said or did?

Was there a negative consequence?
Did you suffer?

Free Will

Deuteronomy 30:19

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Life vs death
Blessing vs curse

If we’re honest, we know that…

Our decisions have caused us to suffer

The quality of your life is impacted by the decisions you make

You can bring it on yourself

Example: unwise decisions

Spending money you don’t have
Said something when you’re angry
Stubbed your toe

Natural Consequences of Bad Decisions

Natural consequences

You brought it on yourself
There was no divine intervention

Example

Throw rocks in the air

Solution

Live in obedience
Studying the book of Proverbs
Praying for wisdom

Healing also means taking responsibility

for the role you play in your own struggles

Chasing After Worldly Goals

James 4:4

4You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy

Chasing after material goals separates you from God

If your happiness is dependent on

Money
Relationship
validation from others

What were the determining factors for

where you live?
where you work?
who you are in relationship with?

you will never be fulfilled

Solution:

Seek the Kingdom First
Pursue your purpose

Story: gym pain

We Suffer Because of Our Perception/Mindset

James 1:2-3

2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

We are commanded to consider it joy

Your Mindset

Example: Two Coworkers

Prevent suffering by:

Renewing my mind
Growth mindset
Positive outlook

Story: Rats With Hope

https://youtu.be/3kXguAd-de0

God Causes us to Suffer

Maybe God sent the tragedy in your life – Billy Graham.

https://youtube.com/shorts/kbIAzbsCh0I?si=5ff_9QHuIFYD4JyE

Transforming You Into Who You Need to Be

Romans 5:3-5

3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Change you character

Preparing you
Strengthens you
Mature You

Story: butterfly strengthens wings by fighting to get out of cocoon/chrysalis

Pruning

John 15: 1-2 - Angel

1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

The practice entails the targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted plant material from crop and landscape plants. In general, the smaller the branch that is cut, the easier it is for a woody plant to compartmentalize the wound and thus limit the potential for pathogen intrusion and decay. It is therefore preferable to make any necessary formative structural pruning cuts to young plants, rather than removing large, poorly placed branches from mature plants.

Remove nonproductive

Example: tree falling on house

Story: Michelangelo

“How in God’s name could you have achieved a masterpiece like this from a crude slab of marble?”
“It was easy,” Mike is said to have said. “All I did was chip away everything that didn’t look like David.”

Suffering removes

False hopes
Distractions

Strengthen Your Faith

1 Peter 1:6-7

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

You don’t have faith until it has been tested

The pressure that you feel is required for the growth that you need. - Faith

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx4XaiQgcp_/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

It’s part of the process towards to a Blessing

Wilderness

Are you going to the wilderness to develop

Noah days
Israelites years
Jesus days
Pregnancy weeks

Giants in the Promised Land

https://youtube.com/shorts/gjgACTePNF8

God’s Solutions to Suffering

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

N.T. Wright

“God works all things together for good with those who are called according to His purpose.“

God is inviting His people to share with Him in the work that He is doing in the world

People who are Christians

The purpose is that “I’ve been called to be part of God’s work in the world”

The Church

The question changes from “how can I get God to stop my suffering“ to…

How can I be a part of ending suffering in the world

Isaiah 58:10

10 And if you offer yourself to the hungry And satisfy the need of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become like midday.

Christians are supposed to help those who are suffering

Homeless
Needy

As Christians, we are supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus

Health Care

The Catholic Church is the largest non-government provider of health care services in the world

18,000 clinics
16,000 homes for the elderly and those with special needs
5,500 hospitals, with 65 % of them located in developing countries.[2]

the Church manages 26% of the world's health care facilities

Salvation Army

What has

Google
Apple
Elon Musk, Jeff Besos

done?

Universities

The university system was invented by the Catholic Church.

Almost all of the original colleges and universities in America were started by Christian organizations.

Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Cambridge
Notre Dame
Georgetown
Boston College
Villanova
William and Mary

Example: local churches

NBCC - City Team (4 cities)
Echo -

The mayor asked Echo to help clean up a large area of trash

They got 100 volunteers
The mayor said they have a hard time getting volunteers

Relationship With God

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Joseph

Joseph - had God’s favor

As a slave
In jail

Jesus Died for Our Sins

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Kingdom of God story

Garden of Eden -> New Jerusalem

Tabernacle
Temple
Jesus
New Jerusalem

Encouragement

You’re Going Through the Valley

Good news and bad news about going through the valley.

https://youtube.com/shorts/pRkPv4AXoRc

I’m coming out of it – motivation.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyRwgSGOL6m/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

You’re ready to fly - Delatorro?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB9ikxOxJD7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Resources

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Why Does God Allow Suffering? 2

Extra

Psalms 81:11-12

11 “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. 12 “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk by their own plans.

Hebrews 12: 9-10

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

I Don’t want to hear that My Suffering By Chance - RC Sproul

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx3pIBnImu9DZ-BpQYjkE4zqgpADyGhTKt?si=xYSi4z4uDi1RK7hk

Justice Requires God to Cause Suffering

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxYfIOZViJvvrYpoGB2Iq6r9Cht13aCCUw?si=6MWy77l58tAdRiz_

Genesis 1 - Let There Be Light

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx8vYhxP6Id/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Be Thankful for the Life You Have

https://youtube.com/shorts/b4vsovSiDcg?si=AaIYio68iVZTCeln

Ask God to use Your Suffering

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxU0A_4JTjywNl3_8GeFEwRj6VCF4EVX_K?si=GsBFbP1rI3a7vHt5

Struggles Make You Stronger - Biosphere

https://youtube.com/shorts/nOsDExh6tBA